Wonkbook: How many foreign workers' jobs would you cut to save one U.S. worker's job?

By Max Ehrenfreund Americans are hard to pin down when it comes to international trade. In surveys, participants give wildly different answers when asked about the issue, depending on how pollsters phrase their questions. On the one hand, 58 percent of Americans say that international trade is more of an opportunity than a threat, according to Gallup. Yet 2 in …   The latest economic and domestic policy from Wonkblog   Delegates protesting the Trans-Pacific Partnership hold up signs at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia last month. (Carlos Barria/Reuters) By Max Ehrenfreund Americans are hard to pin down when it comes to international trade. In surveys, participants give wildly different answers when asked about the issue, depending on how pollsters phrase their questions. On the one hand, 58 percent of Americans say that international trade is more of an opportunity than a threat, according to Gallup. Yet 2 in 3 say there should be more restrictions on imported goods, a Bloomberg poll found. A new academic paper could help explain some of these contradictions. The study, which will be published in the journal International Organization, suggests that Americans will support international commerce, but only as long as it benefits the United States. A draft of the study was released online Thursday. Many economists argue that trade enriches both the United States and foreign countries, but only about 1 in 9 Americans see it that way, the study found. They support trade in theory, but their experience — closed factories, reduced wages — makes them skeptical of the broader benefits for the country. ADVERTISEMENT   Read the rest on Wonkblog.   Number of the day 255,000. That is the number of positions employers created in July, according to the monthly report released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Ylan Q. Mui has more.   Top policy tweets "HOLY COW, BATMAN Payrolls +255k!!! Well above expectations (of +180k) Revisions add +18k to past two months. Unemployment remains at 4.9%" -- @JustinWolfers "With inflation around 1%, this means real wages are growing 1.5+% a year. That's pretty good, and long overdue." -- @DLeonhardt "The jobs report gives a hint to the issues driving this election: women's participation & employment rose while men's fell." -- @BetseyStevenson "These kinds of jobs numbers make it more difficult to run as the guy who is going to fix the economy." -- @BCAppelbaum "The contrast in reactions to the May and July jobs reports are important reminders that we should never read too much into one month's data." -- @BenSpielberg Most Recent Posts from Wonkblog The powerful thing that happens when the school day starts in the afternoon These researchers discovered starting the school day in the afternoon could radically change who does well in school. By Jeff Guo  •  Read more »   America added 255,000 jobs in July, but unemployment rate unchanged Surprisingly strong numbers provide reassurance that recovery still has steam By Ylan Q. Mui  •  Read more »   Even violent crime victims say our prisons are making crime worse A first-of-its-kind survey of America's crime victims. By Christopher Ingraham  •  Read more »   Most Americans would eliminate 1,000 foreign jobs to protect one U.S. worker A new study suggests Americans will support trade, but only as long as it benefits the United States. By Max Ehrenfreund  •  Read more »   Bank of England cuts key interest rate but rules out going negative The central bank also cut its growth forecast by a record amount. By Ylan Q. Mui  •  Read more »   U.S. Chamber sues over rules that discourage companies from moving overseas to avoid taxes The Obama administration efforts to stop U.S. companies from moving overseas to lower their taxes has come under fire. By Renae Merle  •  Read more »   What Donald Trump's candidacy has really meant for his business empire Donald Trump's only problem with turnout isn't at the polls By Ana Swanson  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Recommended for you   Federal Insider Federal news and policy update, in your inbox daily. Sign Up »         Share Wonkbook:       Twitter      Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you signed up for a Wonkblog newsletter. For additional free newsletters or to manage your newsletters, click here. We respect your privacy. If you believe that this email has been sent to you in error or you no longer wish to receive email from The Washington Post, click here. Contact us for help. ©2016 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071